Fireflies
by bottle of beast
Summary: "Fireflies," she said, her voice bouncing around the pavilion and into the ears of 100 Alphas, "are some of the most interesting things we have on this Earth. They seem normal, but they have their time to shine. And that's what makes them special."
1. Chapter 1

**Well, herrow, all! **

**First off, please forgive me. I know that this is probably the most least creative way to start an Alphas fanfiction, but this honestly came to me in a huge rush. I just can't stuff it all into a letter, and make it sound cool and sophisticated. So sorry. :) **

**Moving on. **

**I have recently finished the Alphas series (*tries not to blurt out spoilers*), so I decided to direct my many emotions towards it into a fanfiction. **

**I've been looking through the other fanfictions, hoping to find something that no one else has in their stories. So far, I have come up with one idea. And since I don't want this one to be swiped (Swiper, no swiping!), I'm just going to submit it now. So, let me explain...**

**Like most of the stories in this fandom, this is in an SYOC (Submit Your Own Character) format. The form will be pasted below, right after this little intro. The thing about this fanfiction, however, is that I want all of you to be able to relate to all your characters. Therefore, their alpha track must be something you love to do. It doesn't have to be something you're good at. As long as you love it, and know about your OC's passion for it, then great! :) **

**Other than that, the character can be completely different from you, if you wish. Just that one alpha track is something I want to focus on. If you have multiple interests you want to give your OC, then that's fine, as long as you share them. But three will be the maximum number. :) **

**I'm going to be having five main characters (girls) and five main boys. Other than that, 90 girls will be accepted (background characters, for the most part). You guys are in charge of submitting the five main boys and girls! Wait...nevermind! One of my friends (not on fanfiction) submitted a character. So four girls. I NEED FOUR GIRLS AND FIVE BOYS! **

**And now I present to you...THE FORM THAT SHALL DETERMINE YOUR FUTURE! Will thou succeed, or will thou suck? **

* * *

><p><strong>Name: <strong>

**Age:**

**Hometown: **

**Appearance: **

**Clothing Style:**

**Personality:**

**Alpha Track: **

**Background:**

**Family:**

**Friends:**

**Hobbies:**

**Interests:**

**Flaws (You need at least one physical and one personality flaw!) :**

**What makes you Alpha? **

**Why are you applying to Alpha Academy? **

**Motto: **

* * *

><p><strong>Thank you all, and have a good day! :) <strong>


	2. Chapter 2

**Well, hello, fellow AA fans! :) **

**This is not an update for my actual fanfiction, but rather, a very important message I suggest you all read, especially if you have any plans whatsoever on reading my story. Why? Read on, humans/other species, read on. **

**Many of you have submitted characters to my fanfiction. And I thank you for that. :) It makes me feel loved, considering I'm sort of new to this fandom. So thanks. All of your characters were wonderful and realistic, which is exactly what I was hoping for. So consider yourselves pro-character-creators, at least by my standards. Now whenever someone asks how good you are at creating characters, stick your chest out and say, "I'm an _amazing _character-creator!" Don't be modest.**

**Ahem. Sorry. I'm rambling. **

**Now, this fanfiction, too, is one I am going to try and make as realistic as possible. Which means each of these characters are delicately balanced. If one is amazingly super beautiful (as in all the guys dropping at her feet, yadda, yadda, yadda) then she will have a major flaw. If she's butt ugly, she will have a major skill. It balances, you know? And these girls will be facing _real _issues and pressures. They may cut, have eating disorders, or family problems. Maybe their parents made them apply! Maybe they're scientists being pushed by their parents, secretly hiding their love of dance or art or something. Or maybe not. **

**But that is just a minor thing. Here comes the main thing I came to discuss:**

**There will be slash.**

**For those of you that are unfamiliar with this term, let me clarify. Slash is boy/boy or girl/girl. In this case, it will be girl/girl. I'm not saying every character in this fanfiction will be bisexual/lesbian. But there will be one girl/girl pairing. And maybe a minor one. Maybe one character will have a crush on her straight female friend. Why am I adding slash in? Because right now, I'm struggling with a lot of things and writing about foreign topics is a way for me to explore the world and make sense of it. And because I have some thirst to make my story different somehow. I don't recall any slash so far in this, so here it is! :) **

**Any homophobes cringing or sticking out their tongues? Any of them laughing or rolling their eyes? Yeah. Get out. Now.**

**I have no patience for you people. I have no wish to insult you (bitches/bastards) but homophobes are my pet peeve. If anyone wants a clarification as to _why_, drop a review and ask. I'd be happy to explain. **

**Anyone who knows me well knows I'm a to-the-death supporter of Kurt/Blaine (Glee), Brittany/Santana (Glee) and Naomi/Emily (Skins). Personally, Kurt/Blaine is my favorite. :) But that's not the point. If you insult gays/bisexuals/lesbians, then you're insulting some of my best friends and some of the pairings I adore. So get the fuck out before I say something I regret.**

**Oh. Did I? Whoopsie.**

**Why am I posting this? To give a sort of warning to you people. I don't want people spamming me, screaming at me for adding slash in. And I know some people, while not hating or being against slash, may find it uncomfortable for them. This is fine, by me. I don't encourage discomfort, so I'm putting this little thing in.**

**If you do not wish for your character to have another girl as a love interest, then please say so in the reviews. I have oodles of character entries (most of them from my friends outside of this website) so I can't rush in choosing who to pick and who to leave. But thank you all for being patient. :)**

**If you do not mind your character having a female love interest, or even if you would prefer for her to, then please tell me! :) **

**Again: Thank you so much for being so supportive and welcoming me. If this changes your perception of me, whoop-de-flipping-do. And as for you homophobes out there, I have three words for you:**

**Klainers gonna Klaine. **


	3. Chapter 3

_Every artist dips his brush in his own soul, and paints his own nature into his pictures. ~ Henry Ward Beecher_

* * *

><p>That was what she liked the most about her artwork: how it never ended up how the way she expected it to. What was the fun in that, anyway? It was so much more interesting to have a vague idea in her head. And then she would let her hands and mind take her where she wanted to go, paintbrushes and colors and pencils all sweeping down a path for her creativity.<p>

Such as now.

With her dark locks up in a messy ponytail, amber eyes narrowed, and a brush tightly grasped in her paint-stained fingers, Naomi Bryone easily fit the general epitome of an artist. She bit down on her lip before dipping her brush into a light shade of mauve, then sweeping it across her canvas. The color stood out against the rest of the royal purple, and she wondered if something had gone wrong.

Suddenly, her head cleared and she grabbed another brush, - this one being smaller and softer, meant for delicate curves and turns - using it to mix different shades. And her imagination flew, her easel being covered with different blends and styles of purple. Just purple. Dark and light, soft and angry, swooping lines and straight angles all combining to give an insight into her head, the ramblings of a fourteen year old.

Some may scoff at her painting and say that it wasn't fit for a gallery. That it didn't have a message. But she knew. And she didn't care. Only a true artist could see that she painted to fulfill her own satisfaction. To gain her own high. It was a like a drug, the way she felt so lifeless and free. Away from her annoying family and stupid rules and boring life. Whenever she was with her art, she was in a world of love and vibrant colors and textures and life.

It was intoxicating.

With a satisfied little smile twisting up the corners of her pink lips, Naomi got up from her seat in the attic, reaching up to wipe some paint from her cheek. The action left a lilac stain on her hand. She grimaced, wondering how long it would be until her mother would call her for dinner.

With a sigh, she put the painting somewhere safe, where it wouldn't be hurt. It was like a child to her, as silly as it sounded. She made it, so she was responsible for it. She had to keep it safe and sound.

_Good Lord, _she thought, _I'm losing it. _

Oh well.

* * *

><p>"Naomi, can you babysit your little siblings for me?"<p>

Joanne Bryone rushed up to her daughter the second she was in the living room. Her blonde hair was a disheveled mess, from excess cleaning and running her hands through it too many times. Her blue eyes were wide and begging and Naomi simply blinked at her.

"I'm going to Beatrice's," the older woman explained. "Please? Ariana tripped Jack again and he's crying and..." she looked utterly lost. Naomi sigh-nodded.

"Sure. But-"

"Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!" She gave her daughter a quick kiss on the cheek. "I'll be back in a few hours. There's some coleslaw and ham in the fridge, so you can make some sandwiches for lunch. Have fun!" She rushed out, grabbing her purse along the way.

Naomi stared after her. "What a way to spend a Saturday..." she thought, smirking at her little rhyme. Perhaps that could fit in a poem of some sort.

"Nomy! Nomy!" Jack ran into the living room, tears streaking his pudgy cheeks. He pointed an accusing finger at Ariana, who rushed in after him, dressed in a hideous combination of pink and yellow. "She pushed me!" He pointed to his knee, which was tinged red. "Am I going to die?"

Naomi smiled, trying not to laugh as she knelt down to his three-year old height. He was the exact opposite of his twin, kind and sweet and considerate, whereas Ariana was loud and could be quite cold at times. Ever since Naomi could remember, she had been taking care of them, while her dad was on business trips and her mom gambled. But she loved them more than anything and didn't mind in the least.

But it could get annoying sometimes. Like when she sat down and forced herself to study because she was tired of failing math tests, Ariana would come in and demand a sandwich. Or when she was doing origami, and Jack would tell her that her crane looked fat. It could get tiring.

But she dealed.

"No, little dude. Here, let's go get you a band-aid."

Jack wiped his eyes, staring up at her through the brown-gold hues. "Spiderman band-aid?"

"Of course."

"I want a princess one!" Ariana demanded, huffing and gripping her hips.

Naomi frowned. "But you're not hurt."

The little girl pondered this for a moment. Then her eyes lit up and she brought her arm to her mouth, biting down, hard. Naomi shrieked, pulling her sister's arm away from her sharp little teeth. "God, Ariana!"

"There! Now I can get a band-aid, too!"

Naomi rolled her eyes. "Sure. Okay. Let's go."

Once the two wounded children were contently patched up and munching on their lunch, whilst watching Dora, Naomi called that she was going for a walk. When there was no answer, she just turned and made her way outside, hands stuffed in her gray hoodie, her long black skirt swishing against her ankles. Lucky she had tied her hair up earlier. It had to be at least thirty degrees outside, and she cursed her choice of wearing dark apparel.

_Damn you, amazing fashion sense, _she thought slyly, grinning.

No sooner had she gotten outside but a tall figure had nearly thrown himself at her, knocking her over in the grass. She squealed, trying to push him off of her, contemplating whether or not to scream "Rape!" when she noticed who it was. She looked up, a familiar pair of green eyes staring down at her.

"Rob!" She scowled. "Get off of me!"

"And what if I don't want to?" he smirked.

"Then I'll stop being your best friend forever."

Eyes wide, Rob scrambled off of her. "What a punishment!"

"Damn right, what a punishment," she told him. "Do that again and I'll have to get you arrested."

"You shouldn't be wearing such thin black tank tops underneath that hoodie, love," he chided, gesturing to her shirt.

Naomi groaned. "Lord, you're such a pervert."

"You shouldn't be saying God's name in vain like that, especially since you're an Atheist."

"Meh. Remind me never, ever to get the mail again. Especially with you around."

"The mail?" His eyes widened. "Have you gotten the acception letter yet?"

"What accep - Oh. No, not yet." She shrugged. "I probably didn't get in."

"Are you kidding me? You have crazy skill!"

Naomi rolled her eyes, only to have Rob grab her wrist and begin pulling her to her mailbox. "What are you doing?"

"We're going to check the mail, stupid. And collect your letter."

As soon as the two got to the mailbox, Rob snapped it open and began shifting through envelopes. "Bill, bill, bill, letter, letter, bill, letter-bill, package, letter." He looked up. "I'm sorry, Nomy."

Naomi huffed. "Let me see. God, one of these letters is freaking silver. Who has enough money to buy a silver envelope?"

"Kimiko?" He suggested.

Kimiko was the mildly crazy headmistress of Alpha Academy, a school for the most talented artists, dancers, writers and inventors of the era. It was a school Naomi had applied to on a slight whim, and one that she - and Rob - were still waiting for an answer from, though Naomi highly doubted she got in. The one namer was very picky, after all. And with the millions of other artists applying to the academy, why would she be chosen?

She rolled her eyes again. "As if."

"C'mon!" He elbowed her playfully. "You never know, right? Besides, you're crazy talented. Maybe you could use those hands to shoot some hoops..." he trained his eyes on her and she stuck her tongue out at him.

"There's no way in hell I'm playing sports." It was the number on rule in the Naomi Bible. Besides, sweating and huffing was hideous-looking.

"Pleeaaase?" he begged.

She nudged him, grinning. "Nah. Listen, I gotta get back inside before Ariana and Jack kill each other."

Rob frowned. "Again?"

Naomi nodded.

"Can't your dad take care of them?"

"Business trip."

"Your mom?"

"Gambling trip."

He groaned. "I swear, your parents need to get better lives." He looked at her quickly. "No offense."

"None taken," she said breezily.

"Well, before you go..." he gestured to the shiny envelope in her hand. "I want to see what's in that."

Naomi sighed. "It's _nothing._ Probably some stupid bill."

"Please? Just open it! I want to see! Besides, billing people don't send their victims gray envelopes!"

"It's _silver_," she corrected. "Not gray. There's a huge difference. Gray would be like my hoodie. This is silver, with a bit of an icy blue undertone, playing more subtly in the cor-"

"Okay, okay! Just. Open. It."

"If I do, will you go away?"

"YES!"

"...Fine." Naomi swiftly ripped the envelope open. Immediately, her eyes widened. Out dropped a piece of paper, a booklet, a pair of pearl earrings, and a tiny little butterfly. She raised an eyebrow at these items.

According to Rob's sharp intake of breath, he was just as confused as she was. "So this chick sent you earrings and a toy bug?"

"Quiet, Rob," she muttered. She scooped the booklet off the grass, looking at the title. "This is some ... interaction device ..."

"I'm surprised you even know what 'interaction' means," Rob snickered quietly, looking over her shoulder at the booklet.

Naomi paused from her reading to glare at him. And once she was done looking through the booklet, she gasped. "No way..."

"What?" Rob demanded, squinting at the print on the papers. "What is it?"

"The butterfly and earrings are an electronic device..."

Rob wrinkled his nose. "What, do they light up or something?"

"No! I mean, they're some _complicated _device. They work together. I'm not sure about all the details, but..."

"Well, read that other paper! Maybe it'll explain."

Naomi nodded, snatching the letter off the ground. Her eyes scanned over it, eyebrows furrowed. Suddenly, she gasped again, her eyes going as wide as quarters, and her olive skin paling considerably.

"What is it now?" Rob sighed. "Is it a death threat? 'Cause I swear, if it is..."

"No..." Naomi said dazedly. Her stomach was doing jumping jacks and her heart was beating so loudly that she was worried the neighbors were going to hear it and complain. No way. There was no way. She'd have less surprised if it _had _been a death threat.

"Then tell me!" Rob whined.

The dark-haired teenager thrust the paper out into her friend's direction. Rob narrowed his eyes, reading over it. When he was through, his eyes were just as wide as Naomi's. He ran a hand through his hair. "Damn..."

Naomi nodded, reading over the first sentence of the letter, over and over again:

_Naomi Bryone, this letter has been sent to inform you that you are one of one hundred girls accepted to Alpha Academy for a year of- _

She couldn't read after that. She was too shocked.

"Wow ... Wow, Naomi..."

She nodded slowly, biting her lip. "Holy. Fuck."

She was in.

* * *

><p><strong>Ahem. <strong>

**Guys, I'm really sorry for the late update! I've had so much crap to do these days, so I haven't been on fanfiction too much. But now the first chapter is here! :D Yay!**

**I'm also sorry that this is so short. Before the real drama begins at Alpha Academy, I wanted to give an insight for each of the characters. Naomi Bryone was chosen from one of my friends outside of school: Anna. So applause Anna, because she worked super hard on this! Applause, I say, applause! **

**I have chosen all my female characters, and three of the male ones (I need two more male characters, so if you guys could submit some more, it'd be really great!). And I'd much rather have my decisions be a surprise, so I'm not going to put up a list of PM the ones who got in. :3 You'll just have to read and find out, darlings. And the whole earrings-and-butterfly scenario will be explained later.**

**If you have any ideas or suggestions for what part of the next character's life I should show, be sure to tell me. **

**Oh! And I just want to apologize if this sucks as much as I think it does. Because I think it sucks. Unfortunately, I think I feel a writer's block coming on, so I can't change it. :( **

**Be sure to drop a review!**


	4. Chapter 4

_"If I cannot fly, let me sing." ~ Stephen Sondheim_

* * *

><p>Scarlet Sapphire St. Reeves had a voice unlike any other.<p>

She had gone through this period in her life (one that her sister dubbed 'The Wannabe Period') where she had been quick to compare herself to the biggest stars. Among the subjects were Adele, Christina Grimmie, Lady Gaga, Madonna, Beyonce. Once even Elton John (to this day, she fails to realize where this theory had come from). But in the end, after mimicking their voices and seeing which one 'suited' her best. But, in the end, she stuck with the voice she had doubted in the first place. The one that she belted out in the shower, that she hummed continuously, that had gotten her the lead in the school play.

She was Scarlet Sapphire St. Reeves and she was special. She knew she was special and she knew her voice would carry her places that only others would dream of going to. Her voice said all she was afraid to say. Her songs displayed emotions she tried to hide.

Who said talking was the only form of communication?

She would practice her vocals. And practice and practice and practice. Doing scales and exercises specifically designed to carry her voice over for generations. She didn't even have a voice coach. All she used was practice and pure, raw talent. Her own talent. Her dad always used to go on about her God-given talent and emotion.

If she believed in God, she would have agreed.

She was talented. And she was going to soar. She just needed to learn how to fly.

* * *

><p><em>RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING! <em>

_SLAM!_

It was the same routine that occurred every morning. That evil sadistic alarm that would numb the mind awake with its goddamned blaring and cause even the sleepiest of souls to shoot up in bed, wide eyed. And everyone disliked it because, well, face it: 6:30 AM was not a good time to wake up, especially when you were not a morning person.

Scarlet was not a morning person in the least. This is why she slammed her fist on the 'Snooze' button of her alarm clock and groaned, pulling the covers over her head and stuffing her face into the pillow. She attempted to preserve the heat and convince herself that it was Saturday (No. Better yet, make it summer vacation.) and that she could sleep until 3 PM. This would have worked wonderfully, if an obstacle had not been standing in her way.

Scarlet's twin sister, Ivy, _was_ a morning person. In fact, she woke up at six every morning (something about getting her morning dance exercises done before school). And she relished in torturing her sister. One of her favorite methods was waking her up in the morning. And no matter how sleepy Scarlet was, Ivy always managed to drag her out of bed. It was one of her many talents.

This morning, Ivy bounced in, already dressed, and ripped the covers right off of her sister's body. "Wakey wakey!" she chirped.

"Mhhneyenedbln," Scarlet said intelligently.

The blonde rolled her eyes. "Scarlet, get up already. I don't have all day."

"No," came the reply, muffled by the pillow she was currently smothering her face with.

"Come _on!_" she insisted.

No reply.

"Scarlet, I'm being serious!"

Nothing.

"Wake up, lazy ass!"

Zilch.

Ivy sighed heavily through her nose, the way she always did when she was frustrated. Her eyes glanced across the room, looking for something among the mess that would aid her in this impossible task. At last, she noticed her sister's iPod, charging in its docking station, underneath her huge Boyce Avenue poster. She smirked as an idea bulb lit up in her head, and walked over quietly. She turned the iPod on, tapped in the password (because she was her twin and she knew everything about her sister and, no, she certainly didn't trick her into telling or anything) and flipped through her sister's playlist, frowning at all the songs she had never heard of. Finally, she chose one, turned the volume up, and pressed play.

In no time at all, a Slipknot song was blasting its way into Scarlet's poor, poor eardrums. She let out a high-pitched scream (that she would, no doubt, deny later) and shot up in bed, scrambling for the iPod, which Ivy plugged out, turning the volume up even _higher _and piqueing away with it. "Catch me if you can!" she sang, dancing out of her sister's scrambling grasp.

Finally, Scarlet let out a low growl and, because there was no way she could sleep with that noise, climbed out of bed. She proceeded to chase her sister, who was laughing so hard that Scarlet was sure she was going to pee her pants.

At last, she managed to steal her music player back. "Get the fucking hell out of my room!" she screamed.

Ivy stuck her tongue out. "We're having pancakes for breakfast," she said matter-of-factly, before leaving and closing the door behind her.

The second she left, Scarlet let out a huge sigh, tossing her iPod onto her bed and muttering a couple of profanities towards her sister and her damn happiness at the morning. The sun shone through a crack in her curtains and into her face, as if pestering her to cheer up.

But she would resist.

And resist she did. Throughout her quick shower, she kept her eyebrows in an angry knitted position. As she slipped on her dark blue boy shorts, knee high converse, black tank top and army-patterned shrug, she kept her lips in an annoyed scowl. And as she bounced down the stairs, she only muttered a quick "Hi" to her mother before plopping down in the seat across from her sister so abruptly, she made the other girl squeak and lower her copy of _Seventeen. _The gesture nearly lifted Scarlet's mood and lips.

But not quite.

"Morning, bitch," she mumbled.

Ivy's glossed lips spread in a slow, sadistic grin. "Good morning to you, too, Sunshine!" She reached across and patted her sister's head.

Scarlet scowled and swatted it away, just as their mother brought their breakfast in front of them and sat down with her own meal, beside Ivy. "Hello, Scarlet. You look tired."

"Me? Tired? No, of course not." She sent a pointed look at Ivy, who stifled her giggles. "No, I slept like a log."

"That makes no sense," Ivy pointed out. "Logs can't sleep."

"That's beside the point!"

"And your point was...?"

"My point was that _some _sisters are sucky ... sucky waker-uppers!"

"Don't be stupid; that's not a word."

"I'm not stupid! You're stupid!"

"No, you are!"

"You!"

"You!"

Their mother sighed, rubbing her temples. "Girls ... Do you really have to fight in the morning?"

"No!" Scarlet said. At the same time, Ivy said, "Yes!" They glared at each other.

In the split second silence that ensued before more insults were thrown, Tammie decided to jump in with a phrase she knew would stop them. "The mail came."

Gasps were heard. Heads whipped so fast, audible bone cracks could be pointed out. And, instead of insults, questions were shot at the mother, who tried to hide her smug smile at getting them to stop fighting.

"Did you get The Letter yet, Mom?" Ivy demanded. Scarlet nodded, leaning over to listen more closely.

Tammie hesitated for just a second before nodding yes. The twins squealed happily, gushing over the possibilities that The Letter would bring. Both had applied to Kimiko's academy in the hopes of getting in, studying hard, and watching their dreams unravel before their aspiring eyes. Scarlet wanted to become a famous singer; Ivy wanted to become a famous dancer. And once they graduated from Alpha Academy, their goals would come naturally.

That was, until their mother uttered the next word: "One."

The two froze. One. One letter. One letter, two girls. One of them would be going. Scarlet spoke first, "Huh...?"

"One letter arrived. Not addressed specifically." Tammie reached into her sweatshirt and pulled out a sparkly silver envelope. Two pairs of blue eyes flew to it instantly. Ivy reached for it, then hesitated when she saw her sister doing the same. They avoided each others' eyes, not knowing what the other would do if only one got it.

Their mom cleared her throat. "Erm, how about I open it?"

Both girls nodded. "That's a good idea..." Ivy choked out. Scarlet cleared her throat uncertainly, but said nothing.

Tammie smiled wistfully at her daughters. "Now, girls, don't forget that, whatever happens, your dreams _will _come true. Rejection is just a roadblock in a star's life. Don't get too down about it." Her pep talk did nothing but increase their nervousness; nonetheless, they nodded, dying to read the contents of the letter.

The older woman nodded and used a long fingernail to rip open the envelope in one swift motion. Her hand fished around in it for a bit before coming up with an array of contents: a tiny booklet, a piece of paper, a pair of pearl earrings, and a little butterfly.

The other items were lost as two pairs of hands scrambled to grab the paper. However, the poor paper was saved by another hand, that swooped in and scooped it up, its holder sending the other two a sharp glare that clearly said, _Calm down! _

Two pairs of arms folded and stared, hearts beating.

Tammie's blue eyes scanned over the letter, eyebrows furrowed. At one point, those hues widened to an abnormal looking degree. She glanced up. "Ivy," she breathed.

In that one moment, when her sister screamed with joy and her mother bit down on her lip, Scarlet's breathing hitched. She felt like she had been punched in the stomach: it knocked the wind out of her and it _hurt. _

She tried to swallow the lump in her throat, along with the shock that the news brought upon her. She felt completely numb; she had told herself earlier that it didn't matter if she got in or not, that she'd find a way to gain singing fame without the academy. But now, she wasn't so sure.

Until her mother whispered, "I'm so sorry."

At first, Scarlet was sure the comment was directed towards her. Her mom, trying to make amends for the disappointment that was slowly eating her up. She offered a small, teary smile in return. But then she noticed her mother's wavering gaze on her celebrating sister, her eyes uncertain, chin quivering.

Ivy must have noticed it, too, because she stopped dancing in her seat. Tammie held up the letter. It read:

_Scarlet St. Reeves, this letter has been sent to inform you that you are one of one hundred girls accepted to Alpha Academy for a year of-_

Scarlet stopped reading at the point, as she heard the chair beside her scraping against the floor. She glanced up in time to see her sister, a blur of blonde hair, race upstairs, taking the stairs two at a time. Even from downstairs, she heard the door slam.

There was a split second silence before Tammie got up. "I'll go talk to her," she said.

Scarlet shook her head, getting up and out of her own chair. "No, it's fine. I will. I know how she feels."

She really didn't, but there was no way she was admitting that.

Tammie opened her mouth. Then, she thought better of it and closed it, nodding. She offered her a daughter a smile."Congratulations, Scarlet. I knew you would get in."

In spite of the current situation, Scarlet smiled widely. "Thanks."

* * *

><p>"Ivy?" Scarlet poked her head in her sister's room.<p>

Ivy was laying on the bed on her back, cracking her wrists and staring up at the ceiling. When her sister walked in, she sat up and gave a sort of half-smile. "Hey," she said softly.

"Hi." Scarlet took a seat beside her sister. "Are you okay?"

Ivy rolled her eyes. "Yes, of course. I just enjoy snapping at you and then making a dramatic exit. It's one of my hobbies."

Scarlet giggled, and Ivy smiled. But then the smile disappeared, just as quickly as it came, and was replaced by a thoughtful frown. "Listen, I'm sorry I acted like such a drama queen downstairs."

"You didn't-"

Ivy flapped a hand in the air, halting her sister's words. "Hear me out."

Scarlet nodded.

The blonde took a deep breath. "I was just ... really upset. I didn't ... I expected to get in. You know, 'cause I rock and all. And it was just a hard blow for me. One of those unexpected mood swings that die two seconds later."

"Okay..."

"And trust me: I'm really, really happy for you." She mustered a smile. "I'm going to brag about you like hell. And when you become famous and perform all around the world, you can mention your amazingly awesome sister, dance wunderkind!"

Scarlet found herself grinning right along with her sister, leaning in and wrapping her arms around her slender body in a tight hug. "Thanks..." She wiped a few tears from her eyes; she felt like she was floating. This was too good to be true. She pinched herself, just to make sure she wasn't dreaming.

She wasn't.

Ivy giggled, pushing her away. "Get off me!" she said, but she was still smiling, so Scarlet didn't take it personally.

The songstress shot up from the bed. "Last one downstairs gets the earrings!"

And as her sister whined about her lack of a head start and as she raced down the stairs like a cheetah, Scarlet knew things would turn out alright, no matter what happened. She was ready to take whatever Alpha Academy threw at her.

* * *

><p><strong>okay. i apologize for the horrible, horrible ending. i had originally planned to make ivy throw some huge, hissy fit, but it didn't fit her, once i read her profile again. this seemed more natural. unfortunately, it also seems out of the blue and super-rushed. *sigh*<strong>

**anywho, i don't want to change it, because i'm the kind of person that doesn't do that kind of stuff, so i'm sorry if you die from the ... the rushedness. **

**:3 **

**scarlet is one of my favorite charries so far. :) she just seems so cool and down to earth! not to mention, she's a break from the usual girly girls and preps you see on the alpha academy forum; she's more of a punk. how awesome is that? :D**

**and, no, i didn't really forget to write scarlet's brothers into this (nick and johnathan). nick is at law school (dorms exist!) and johnathan is at a before-school basketball practice.**

**these amazing characters were created by iWriteStuff202. i think she did a fabulous job, and you probably do, too (you _are _all humans, right?). so all credit goes to her for making characters that are unique and believable at the same time! you go! ^_^ **

**i'm really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, _really _sorry about the late-as-fuck update. i've recently increased my amount of dance classes, started training even harder because track and field season is coming up (yay!) and i'm working on an original piece of literature (a oneshot, but it's something i want to perfect to the point where it goes, "bitch, please!"). along with this, i'm trying to figure out how to earn enough money for a new camera. and on top of all that, i'm trying to get into a private school for smarticles. i am not a smarticle, but i can be one if i try. and trying is hard (i have to pay attention in history class? whaaaat?). **

**but hehehe.**

**yeah, i'm sort of feeling insane right now.**

**i'm still deciding the other characters for this fic, but i've narrowed the list down by an insane degree. i'm just itching to write kimiko; i think you'll like her. she's not much like shira, i'll give you that. ;) **

**i really hope you guys enjoyed reading this (the story, not the author's note)! i'll try to make the next update faster. pinkie promise. cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye. **

**:) **

**enjoy, read and review! science has proven that those who review gain magical powers that allow them to produce ninja bunnies with marshmallows out of thin air! **

**halle-fucking-lujah! **


End file.
